trivia
plural noun
matters or things that are very unimportant, inconsequential, or nonessential; trifles; trivialities.
trivia
1 American
[triv-ee-uh]
/ ˈtrɪv i ə /
plural noun
Trivia
2
American
[triv-ee-uh]
/ ˈtrɪv i ə /
noun
trivia
British
/ ˈtrɪvɪə /
noun
Etymology
Origin of trivia1
1900–05; pseudo-Latin trivia (neuter plural), taken as the base of trivial
Origin of Trivia2
First recorded in 1700–10; from Latin, feminine of trivius (adj.), derivative of trivium “place where three roads meet,” equivalent to tri- tri- + -vium, derivative of via “way, road”
Explanation
Can you name the twenty-third vice-president? Do you know all the state birds? If so, you must be good at trivia: facts that are interesting but not necessarily important. Everybody probably knows trivia about something they enjoy. Baseball fans can quote batting averages of their favorite players; movie nuts can tell you exactly what films their favorite actors appeared in and who they played. The game "Trivial Pursuit" is full of questions about facts like that. Why would anyone bother with trivia? Usually, because they love the topic, or maybe they need to know it for their job. One person's trivia is another person's important information.
Vocabulary lists containing trivia
A First Time for Everything
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Doing Time Online
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Not Nothing
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Even if you don’t, you might, as this hodgepodge of anecdotes, trivia and theories is less about stamps in particular and more about the compulsion to collect in all its facets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Test your knowledge of historical trivia with our daily quiz.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
He leads movie location tours and hosts podcasts, movie trivia nights and special events.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Speaking on any given topic, he developed a trademark style built around a "key point", often a piece of trivia, and asked the audience to take note, like a teacher addressing students, which impressed them.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
As if she can read my mind, Mom changes the channel again, settling on a trivia game show.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
Trivia, whisky tastings, casino games and pickleball went on as usual.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
Select Alamo Drafthouse locations in Washington D.C. and Virginia offer Think-N-Drink Trivia nights every Thursday at 7 p.m.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2023
Trivia: De Armas is the first Cuban woman to be nominated for best actress.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 9, 2023
Trivia, the coin of the realm in pop culture writing, is spilled here in abundance.
From New York Times ● Dec. 6, 2022
“I propose a Triwizard Trivia Tournament. If you get a question right, you choose your own bean. If you get it wrong, someone chooses for you.”
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
